Seeing the Benefit of Duke's Vision Insurance
Duke benefit saves Mitzi Scarlett hundreds of dollars on glasses
Mitzi Scarlett has 20/20 vision when it comes to Duke's vision care insurance.
Before she joined Duke, she once paid more than $400 for bifocals.
"With Duke's plan, I pay only about $100," said Scarlett, a staff assistant in the Division of Cardiology. "That's the kind of savings I get excited about."
Through Duke's optional vision care insurance faculty and staff can manage the cost of comprehensive eye care. The plan covers the cost of new lenses or contact lenses each year and new eyeglass frames every two years, in addition to an annual vision exam. Duke's medical insurance plans also provide coverage for one vision exam each year.
Nearly 13,500 staff and faculty participate in Duke's vision care plan, which allows them to pay for the benefit on a pre-tax basis.
"Good vision, like good health, is something people treasure," said Sylvester Hackney, associate director for benefits at Duke. He noted that periodic eye exams are part of good vision care, and also can help detect other underlying medical problems.
Staff and faculty can enroll in vision insurance for themselves and dependents during the annual Open Enrollment period in October. Employees do not need to be enrolled in any of Duke's medical plans to participate in the vision care plan.
With Duke's vision care benefit, participants can have their eyes examined and shop for lenses and frames at any of 35,000 providers in the UnitedHealthcare Vision network, including more than 100 providers in the Triangle area.
Scarlett, the staff assistant in the Division of Cardiology, prefers shopping for eyeglasses at places such as Wal-Mart because the stores carry a variety of eyewear, including brand name lenses that avoid materials to which she is allergic.
This year, Scarlett has paid $9.47 a month for Duke's vision insurance. The plan covers her eye exam, the first $130 of the cost of a set of frames and the full cost of lenses (in lieu of contacts), including 100 percent of options such as progressive lenses with anti-reflective coating, polycarbonate scratch protection, ultraviolet coating and photochromic tinting to darken lenses in direct sunlight.
"With my eyes, I have to have glasses, so I'll buy them no matter what the cost," Scarlett said. "But it is such a pleasant surprise to realize how much I get and how little I pay with insurance."